U.S. patent application number 14/056276 was filed with the patent office on 2014-04-24 for electronic device and operating method using bluetooth.
This patent application is currently assigned to Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. The applicant listed for this patent is Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.. Invention is credited to Sung-Geun LEE.
Application Number | 20140113562 14/056276 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 50485770 |
Filed Date | 2014-04-24 |
United States Patent
Application |
20140113562 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
LEE; Sung-Geun |
April 24, 2014 |
ELECTRONIC DEVICE AND OPERATING METHOD USING BLUETOOTH
Abstract
A Bluetooth pairing method in an electronic device is provided.
The method includes detecting a change of a switching state of a
switch of the electronic device, selecting a Bluetooth Device (BD)
address according to the changed switching state among a plurality
of stored BD addresses, and applying the selected BD address to a
Bluetooth pairing. The method can facilitate Bluetooth pairing to
selectable types of host devices.
Inventors: |
LEE; Sung-Geun; (Seoul,
KR) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. |
Gyeonggi-do |
|
KR |
|
|
Assignee: |
Samsung Electronics Co.,
Ltd.
Gyeonggi-do
KR
|
Family ID: |
50485770 |
Appl. No.: |
14/056276 |
Filed: |
October 17, 2013 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
455/41.2 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04W 76/15 20180201;
H04W 4/80 20180201; H04W 8/26 20130101; H04W 84/18 20130101; H04W
8/005 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
455/41.2 |
International
Class: |
H04W 76/02 20060101
H04W076/02 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Oct 19, 2012 |
KR |
10-2012-0116711 |
Claims
1. A Bluetooth pairing method in an electronic device, comprising:
detecting a change of a switching state of a switch of the
electronic device; selecting a Bluetooth Device (BD) address
according to the changed switching state among a plurality of
stored BD addresses; and applying the selected BD address to a
Bluetooth pairing.
2. The Bluetooth pairing method of claim 1, further comprising
removing a Bluetooth pairing with a specific host device which
registers a previous BD address used before the selection.
3. The Bluetooth pairing method of claim 1, further comprising
establishing a Bluetooth pairing with a specific host device which
registers the selected BD address.
4. An electronic device comprising: a Bluetooth communication unit
to establish a Bluetooth pairing; a switching unit to change a
switching state; and a host unit to change a Bluetooth Device (BD)
address of the Bluetooth communication unit for the Bluetooth
pairing in response to the change in switching state of the
switching unit.
5. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising a memory
for storing a plurality of BD addresses.
6. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the host unit changes
the BD address, and removes the Bluetooth pairing between the
Bluetooth communication unit and a specific host electronic device
which registers a previous BD address used before the BD address
change.
7. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the host unit changes
the BD address, and controls the Bluetooth pairing between the
Bluetooth communication unit and a specific host electronic device
which registers the changed BD address.
8. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the switching unit is
disposed on an external portion of a body, which forms an outer
appearance of the electronic device, and allows a user's
manipulation.
9. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the switching unit
includes a slide bar which is movable on the body, and changes at
least two connection states according to a position movement of the
slide bar.
10. The electronic device of claim 8, wherein the switching unit
includes a toggle switch.
11. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising an input
unit for generating an input signal or control signal transmitted
to a Bluetooth-paired host device via the Bluetooth communication
unit.
12. The electronic device of claim 4, further comprising an output
unit for outputting a video signal or audio signal received from a
Bluetooth-paired host device via the Bluetooth communication
unit.
13. The electronic device of claim 4, wherein the electronic device
is a wireless keyboard, a wireless mouse, or a wireless
speaker.
14. A keyboard comprising: a keypad unit constructed with keys to
generate an input signal when the keys are pressed by a user; a
switching unit configured to change a switching state by a user's
manipulation; a memory; and a processor, communicatively connected
to the keypad unit, the switching unit and a Bluetooth
communication unit; wherein, the processor retrieves one of a
plurality of Bluetooth Device (BD) addresses stored in the memory
corresponding to the switching state of the switching unit, and
changes a BD address for a Bluetooth pairing according to a change
of the switching state, and the Bluetooth communication unit
transmits input signals from the keypad unit to a specific
Bluetooth-paired host device under control of the processor.
15. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein the processor changes the BD
address, and removes a Bluetooth pairing with a specific host
device which registers a previous BD address used before
change.
16. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein the processor changes the BD
address, and establishes a Bluetooth pairing between the Bluetooth
communication unit and a specific host device which registers the
changed BD address.
17. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein the switching unit is
disposed on an external portion of a body, which forms an outer
appearance of the keyboard, and allows a user's manipulation.
18. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the switching unit includes a
slide bar which is movable on the body, and changes a switching
state according to a position movement of the slide bar.
19. The keyboard of claim 17, wherein the switching unit includes a
toggle switch.
20. The keyboard of claim 14, wherein the keyboard is a membrane
type or a pantograph type.
Description
CLAIM OF PRIORITY
[0001] This application claims the benefit under 35 U.S.C.
.sctn.119(a) of a Korean patent application filed in the Korean
Intellectual Property Office on Oct. 19, 2012 and assigned Serial
No. 10-2012-0116711, the entire disclosure of which is hereby
incorporated by reference.
BACKGROUND
[0002] 1. Technical Field
[0003] The present disclosure relates to an electronic device that
can easily establish a Bluetooth pairing with a peer device.
[0004] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0005] With the advances in computing and telecommunications in
recent years, portable wireless terminals such as smartphones, cell
phones, electronic organizers, tablet PCs, Personal Digital
Assistants (PDA), etc. have become necessities of modern life as an
important means for delivering information which changes rapidly.
Contemporary portable terminals provide various multimedia services
in addition to traditional telephony functions.
[0006] In this environment, a Bluetooth communication technique has
drawn attention in recent years. Bluetooth is a near field wireless
communication technology defined as a standard by which various
electronic devices and information communication devices are
connected and controlled in a wireless fashion within a radius of
10 to 100 meters (m). When a wireless network is configured through
Bluetooth, data can be freely exchanged between paired information
devices. For example, data can be wirelessly exchanged at a high
speed using a radio frequency between paired information devices
(e.g., a computer, a printer, a mobile phone, a PDA, etc., used in
home or an office) and also between a variety of digital home
appliances equipped with Bluetooth functionality.
SUMMARY
[0007] An aspect of the presently disclosed technology is to
provide an electronic device for easily establishing a Bluetooth
pairing with a peer device.
[0008] Another aspect is to provide an electronic device for
storing a plurality of Bluetooth Device (BD) addresses.
[0009] Still another aspect to provide an electronic device for
storing a plurality of BD addresses, for selecting a specific BD
address by using a switch manipulated by a user, and for applying
the selected BD address to a Bluetooth pairing.
[0010] In an exemplary embodiment, a Bluetooth pairing method in an
electronic device includes detecting a change of a switching state
of a switch of the electronic device. A BD address is selected
according to the changed switching state among a plurality of
stored BD addresses. The selected BD address is applied to a
Bluetooth pairing.
[0011] The method may further include removing a Bluetooth pairing
with a specific host device which registers a previous BD address
used before the selection. Further still, the method may include
establishing a Bluetooth pairing with a specific host device which
registers the selected BD address.
[0012] An embodiment of an electronic device includes a Bluetooth
communication unit that establishes a Bluetooth pairing, a
switching unit that changes a switching state, and a host unit to
change a BD address of the Bluetooth communication unit for the
Bluetooth pairing in response to the change in switching of the
switching unit.
[0013] The electronic device may further include at least one of
the following elements and features:
[0014] A memory for storing a plurality of BD addresses.
[0015] The host unit may change the BD address, and remove the
Bluetooth pairing between the Bluetooth communication unit and a
specific host electronic device which registers a previous BD
address used before the change.
[0016] The host unit may change the BD address, and control the
Bluetooth pairing between the Bluetooth communication unit and a
specific host electronic device which registers the changed BD
address.
[0017] The switching unit may be disposed on an external portion of
a body, which forms an outer appearance of the electronic device,
and allow a user's manipulation.
[0018] The switching unit may include a slide bar which is movable
on the body, and change at least two switching states according to
a position movement of the slide bar.
[0019] The switching unit may include a toggle switch.
[0020] An input unit may be included for generating an input signal
or control signal transmitted to a Bluetooth-paired host electronic
device via the Bluetooth communication unit.
[0021] An output unit for outputting a video signal or audio signal
received from a Bluetooth-paired host electronic device via the
Bluetooth communication unit may be included.
[0022] The electronic device can be a wireless keyboard, a wireless
mouse, or a wireless speaker.
[0023] An embodiment of a keyboard includes a keypad unit
constructed with keys to output input signals when the keys are
pressed by a user, and a switching unit capable of changing a
switching state by a user's manipulation. The keyboard includes a
memory; a processor, communicatively connected to the keypad unit,
the switching unit and a Bluetooth communication unit. The
processor retrieves one of a plurality of Bluetooth Device (BD)
addresses stored in the memory corresponding to the switching state
of the switching unit, and changes a BD address for a Bluetooth
pairing according to a change of the switching state. The Bluetooth
communication unit transmits input signals from the keypad unit to
a specific Bluetooth-paired host device under control of the
processor.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0024] The above and other aspects, features and advantages of
certain exemplary embodiments of the present technology will be
more apparent from the following detailed description taken in
conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:
[0025] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the concept of a pairing between
Bluetooth electronic devices according to an exemplary
embodiment;
[0026] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a structure of a
keyboard according to an exemplary embodiment; and
[0027] FIG. 3, FIG. 4 and FIG. 5 are flowcharts illustrating
respective operations of a keyboard according to an exemplary
embodiment.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0028] Exemplary embodiments of the present technology will be
described herein below with reference to the accompanying drawings.
In the following description, well-known functions or constructions
are not described in detail to avoid obscuring the present
technology in unnecessary detail. Further, some terms used herein
may differ from their ordinary usage. Therefore, the terms used
herein should be understood on the basis of the description
throughout this specification.
[0029] FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the concept of a pairing between
Bluetooth electronic devices according to an exemplary embodiment
of the present technology.
[0030] A host electronic device (e.g., a Television (TV) 1, a
mobile phone 2, etc.) searches for a neighbor electronic device
(e.g., a keyboard 100, etc.) for performing a pairing between
electronic devices. The Bluetooth devices need to be paired to
configure a wireless network through Bluetooth. A pairing is
defined as an operation in which a device and its peer device to be
connected mutually recognize their presence.
[0031] In general, the host electronic device (hereafter, "device")
searches for a neighbor device by using a well-known Service
Discovery Profile (SDP). Here, the host and neighbor devices
exchange a Bluetooth Device (BD) address (e.g., 00:11:22:33:44:55)
and a device name. In the present example, when the TV 1 or phone 2
searches and discovers the keyboard 100, the BD address sent by the
keyboard 100 is a unique identification assigned to it. The device
name may be a serial number of the keyboard 100.
[0032] When the host device receives the BD address of the neighbor
device, it registers the address. In one pre-set scheme, if the
neighbor device is found through a search operation, the host
device can be automatically paired with the neighbor device. In one
implementation, the host device and the neighbor device registered
to the host device can be automatically paired without having to
receive a separate authentication such as a passkey based on a
Secure Simple Pairing (SSP) which is input from a user.
[0033] As will be explained further below, keyboard 100 includes a
manual switch (switching unit 170) to enable a rapid manual
selection between Bluetooth devices, in accordance with an
embodiment. The switching unit 170 can move a slide bar 171 to two
or more positions. According to the movement of the slide bar 171,
a processor changes a connection state by changing a BD address. A
memory stores a plurality of BD addresses, and the processor
selects a specific BD address according to a switching state of the
switching unit 170 for Bluetooth pairing with a host device that
registers the new address. For instance, in FIG. 1A, the slide bar
171 is slid to a first position ("TV") for Bluetooth pairing with
the TV 1, whereupon the TV 1 registers a first BD address provided
by the keyboard 100 and Bluetooth communication with the TV 1 is
performed. User inputs on keyboard 100 are then converted to
commands controlling the TV 1. Likewise, as shown in FIG. 1B, when
the slide bar 171 is slid to a second position "P" corresponding to
a phone, Bluetooth communication is switched to the phone 2, via
the use of a second BD address provided by the keyboard 100. The
phone 2 can then be controlled via inputs to keyboard 100.
[0034] When the switching unit 170 switch is switched to the "TV"
position, keyboard 100 retrieves the first BD address from memory
and advertises itself with the first BD address for Bluetooth
pairing. In this case, in order for a Bluetooth connection to
proceed with a TV but not with a phone, keyboard 100 takes
appropriate measures. For instance, when the switch is in the TV
position, the keyboard employs software that does not permit its
use with a phone. Thus when a phone attempts to make a Bluetooth
connection under this condition, the keyboard 100 software does not
permit it. For example, when the switch is in the TV position, the
keyboard advertises itself as a device that is compatible with a TV
but not compatible with a phone. Similarly, when the switch is in
the "P" position, keyboard 100 retrieves a second BD address from
memory for Bluetooth communication, and can identify itself with
this second address as a different device. That is, it advertises
itself as a different device does not permit Bluetooth pairing with
a TV host device, but only with a phone host device. In this
manner, user inputs to the keyboard 100 will control the phone 2,
but not the TV 1.
[0035] In a particular embodiment, the keyboard 100 includes a body
11, a keypad unit 130, a speaker unit 150, an external port unit
160, and a switching unit 170. The body 11 forms an outer
appearance of keyboard 11 in e.g., a quadrangular plate shape, and
is a housing for internal electronics. The body 11 can be divided
into an upper body 111 and a lower body 112, and is formed by
molding.
[0036] The keypad unit 130 arranges a plurality of keys 131, for
example, number keys, character keys, symbol keys, etc. Keypad unit
130 is disposed beneath the buttons 131, and includes a circuit
board (not shown) contained in the body 11. The keypad unit 130 is
joined to the body 11, and the keys 131 are exposed. When the keys
131 are pressed by the user, the circuit board handles signals
corresponding to the pressed keys.
[0037] The keys 131 may be a well-known membrane or pantograph
type. A membrane-type key includes a keycap, a rubber done, and a
key electrode. The pantograph type includes a keycap, a rubber
done, and a key electrode.
[0038] The circuit board includes a Bluetooth communication unit
(item 140 in FIG. 2) for Bluetooth communication. The Bluetooth
communication unit includes software and hardware constituent
elements to enable the Bluetooth communication, and for example,
includes a chip for processing a radio signal and an antenna for
transmitting and receiving the radio signal. The Bluetooth
communication unit is assigned a BD address for the keyboard 100,
for a Bluetooth pairing with the host device.
[0039] The audio unit 150 outputs an audio signal received from the
paired host device. In addition, the audio unit 150 comprises a
speaker 151 and an earphone connector 152.
[0040] The external port unit 160 can connect an external memory to
the circuit board to transfer data to each other. The circuit board
can transmit the data of the external memory to the host device.
The circuit board may transfer data received from the host device
into the external memory for storage.
[0041] The switching unit 170 is electrically connected to the
circuit board, and is exposed at a suitable place in the body 11.
The switching unit 170 includes a manual slide bar 171 movable to
two or more positions. According to the movement of the slide bar
171, a circuit changes a switching state. In particular, if the
switching state changes according to the movement of the slide bar
171, a circuit board processor changes a BD address. A memory
stores a plurality of BD addresses, and the processor selects a
specific BD address according to a switching state of the switching
unit 170. The processor provides the selected BD address to the
Bluetooth communication unit to be used as the current BD address
of keyboard 100 in the Bluetooth pairing with the host device.
[0042] The body 11 forms a slide groove 114 for guiding a movement
of the slide bar 171. Marks 172 and 173 for indicating a movement
position of the slide bar 171 are printed on the surface of the
body 11. The marks 172 and 173 indicate selectable host devices to
be paired.
[0043] If the slide bar 171 of the switching unit 170 is moved to a
position of the first mark 172 (i.e., TV), the processor applies a
first BD address. In this case, the TV 1 which registers the first
BD address is paired with the keyboard 100. If the slide bar 171 is
moved to a position of the second mark 173 (i.e., "P" for phone),
the processor applies a second BD address. In this case, the mobile
phone 2 which registers the second BD address is paired with the
keyboard 100. If the BD address is changed, a connection with a
host device paired by using a previous BD address (used before
change) is removed. When the BD address is changed, the processor
prepares a pairing with a host device which conforms to the changed
BD address. For instance, if the switch is in the TV position, the
processor may prevent a non-TV host device such as a phone from
establishing a Bluetooth pairing, while allowing a Bluetooth
pairing with a host device identifying itself as a TV. The
switching unit 170 is not limited to the aforementioned method of
moving the slide bar 171, and thus can be implemented in various
manners. For example, the switching unit 170 may alternatively be a
toggle switch.
[0044] Accordingly, the user can effectively and rapidly establish
a pairing with a desired host device by simply moving the slide bar
171 of the switching unit 170.
[0045] FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating an example structure
of a keyboard 100 according to an exemplary embodiment. Keyboard
100 may communicate with a host device (e.g., a mobile phone, a
mobile pad, a media player, a tablet computer, a handheld computer,
or a Personal Digital Assistant (PDA)) through Bluetooth, transmit
a key input signal to the host device, and receive an output signal
from the host device.
[0046] The keyboard 100 includes a host unit 110, a keypad unit
130, a Bluetooth communication unit 140, an audio unit 150, an
external port unit 160, and a switching unit 170. The external port
unit 160 may each be plural in number.
[0047] The host unit 110 includes an internal memory 111, one or
more processors 112, and an interface 113. The internal memory 111,
the one or more processors 112, and the interface 113 may be
separate elements or may be configured in one or more Integrated
Circuits (ICs).
[0048] The processor 112 performs several functions for the
keyboard 100 by executing various software programs, and processes
and controls data communication. Further, in addition to typical
functions, the processor 112 executes a software module (or an
instruction set) stored in the internal memory 111 and/or the
external memory unit (not shown) and thus performs various
functions corresponding to the module. That is, the processor 112
performs the method according to the exemplary embodiment of the
present invention by interworking with the software module stored
in the internal memory 111 and/or the external memory unit. That
is, if a switching state is changed by the switching unit 170, the
processor 112 changes a BD address stored in the internal memory
111 or the external memory unit, and sends the changed BD address
to Bluetooth communication unit 140 for a Bluetooth pairing with
the host device. The external memory unit can include a fast random
access memory such as one or more magnetic storage devices and/or a
non-volatile memory, one or more optical storage devices, and/or a
flash memory (e.g., NAND, NOR). The external memory unit stores a
software element. The software element refers to a module including
a set of instructions (or an instruction set). In addition, the
external memory unit can be used to store a plurality of BD
addresses.
[0049] The interface 113 connects the host unit 110 to several
elements of the keyboard 100.
[0050] The keypad unit 130 consists of a plurality of keys, and
transmits a signal to the host unit 110 according to a key pressed
by the user. The host unit 110 transmits a signal, which is
received from the keypad unit 130, to the paired host device via
the Bluetooth communication unit 140.
[0051] The Bluetooth communication unit 140 includes software and
hardware constituent elements for the Bluetooth communication, and
for example, includes a chip for processing a radio signal and an
antenna for transmitting and receiving the radio signal. The host
unit 110 assigns to the Bluetooth communication unit 140 the BD
address for the Bluetooth pairing with the selected type of host
device.
[0052] The audio unit 150 produces audio output via the speaker and
the earphone connector. The audio unit 150 receives a data signal
from the host unit 110, converts the received data signal into an
electronic signal, and outputs the converted electronic signal via
the speaker or the earphone connector.
[0053] The external port unit 160 may connect an external memory.
The external port unit 160 may connect a charging device for
charging of the keyboard 100. The host unit 110 and the external
memory are connected through the external port unit 160, and can
transmit data to each other. The host unit 110 can transmit the
data of the external memory to the host device. In addition, the
host unit 110 may store data received from the host device paired
through the Bluetooth communication unit 140 into the external
memory.
[0054] The switching unit 170 allows the user to change the
connection state, by changing the switching state thereof.
[0055] Keyboard 100 can also be equipped with a small display unit
(not shown) for outputting still image and/or video signals, and to
facilitate operations.
[0056] FIG. 3 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of
keyboard 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention. At the outset of the operation, it is assumed that
keyboard 100 may or may not have already established a Bluetooth
connection with a first host device, and if it has been
established, a current BD address was assigned to keyboard 100 for
that connection. If there is no connection (e.g., if the first host
device is turned off, or if the keyboard 100 location has moved
outside the range of the first host device or vice versa), then the
processor 112 nevertheless maintains the current BD address in
memory.
[0057] In step 301, the processor 112 determines whether a
switching state corresponding to a desired connection state is
changed by the switching unit 170. If the switching state is
changed, processor 112 changes the keyboard 100's BD address for
Bluetooth communication in step 303. Otherwise, the processor 112
maintains the current BD address in step 305.
[0058] FIG. 4 is a flowchart illustrating an operating method of
keyboard 100 according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention. In step 401, processor 112 establishes a Bluetooth
pairing with a host device. Next, in step 403, the processor 112
determines whether the BD address should be changed by detecting
whether the switching state (e.g., switch position between "TV" and
"P") of the switching unit 170 has changed. If so, the processor
112 changes the BD address accordingly.
[0059] If the BD address is changed, the processor 112 removes the
Bluetooth pairing with the host device in step 405. Otherwise,
processor 112 maintains the Bluetooth pairing with the host device
in step 407.
[0060] FIG. 5 is a flowchart illustrating an operation of a
keyboard according to an exemplary embodiment of the present
invention. In step 501, the processor 112 changes a BD address
according to a switching state changed by the switching unit 170.
When the BD address is thus changed, Bluetooth communication unit
140 transmits Bluetooth signals which identify keyboard 100
differently, i.e., with the changed BD address. Next, in step 503,
the processor 112 identifies whether there is a Bluetooth pairing
request from a host device, with respect to the changed BD address.
If so, in step 505, the processor 112 establishes a Bluetooth
pairing with the target host device, provided that the host device
conforms to the type of device (e.g., TV or phone) associated with
the switching state.
[0061] Otherwise, if there is no Bluetooth pairing request from the
desired type of host device, the procedure of FIG. 5 ends.
[0062] In the above exemplary embodiments, the plurality of BD
addresses stored in memory correspond to different BD addresses the
keyboard 100 associates with itself during a Bluetooth pairing
process. In an alternative embodiment, keyboard 100 always uses the
same BD address for itself, but changes BD addresses that it
compares with BD addresses of host devices. For example, in a
set-up mode, keyboard 100 gathers BD addresses of various specific
host devices that it may be allowed to connect to. In a simple
example, keyboard 100 obtains a first BD address of a specific TV
and a second BD address of a specific phone that the user places in
vicinity to the keyboard. These BD addresses are then stored in the
internal or external memories. Thereafter, whenever the switching
unit 170 is switched to the TV position, keyboard 100 utilizes only
the first BD address to communicate with any potential host device.
Then, a Bluetooth pairing is permitted only when a potential host
device identifies itself with the first BD address. This prevents
other devices such as phones or other TVs from receiving unintended
commands from the keyboard 100. When the switching unit 170 is
switched to the "P" position, keyboard 100 drops the connection
with the TV associated with the first BD address, and the keyboard
attempts to discover a phone device that identifies itself with the
second BD address.
[0063] It is noted, in the alternative embodiment just described,
in which keyboard 100 does not change its own BD address, a
plurality of BD addresses corresponding to particular host devices
are pre-stored in the internal memory 110 and/or external memory
(not shown). These BD addresses can be obtained in a number of
ways. In one implementation, a user may manually enter the BD
addresses, and manually enter default BD addresses for e.g., a
default TV and a default phone, to deal with situations where
multiple TVs or phones might be within Bluetooth communication
range of the keyboard 100. In another implementation, when the
keyboard 100 is used for the first time, it will search for a
Bluetooth-capable TV with the highest signal strength, and attempt
to pair with that TV. If pairing is successful, the keyboard will
assume that that TV is the intended one, and will obtain its BD
address and store it as a default BD address for a TV in memory. A
similar operation is performed to select a default phone with a
corresponding BD address. In this manner, if multiple phones are in
the vicinity of the keyboard, and the switching state of the
switching unit 170 is switched to "P", keyboard 100 will attempt to
pair with the default phone using the originally obtained BD
address.
[0064] In the above exemplary embodiments, although a keyboard is
described as an example of an input means, the present invention is
not limited thereto. Thus, an electronic device (e.g., a wireless
earphone, a wireless mouse, a wireless speaker, etc.) that can be
paired with a host device can also perform the procedures of FIG. 3
to FIG. 5, and include constituent elements thereof Although the
electronic device may have a structure differing from that of FIG.
2, an electronic device of the present invention may commonly
consist of elements corresponding to the host unit 110, the
Bluetooth communication unit 140, and the switching unit 170.
[0065] For example, the wireless earphone may comprise a host unit,
a Bluetooth communication unit, a switching unit, and a speaker
unit which are configured on at least one circuit board. The
switching unit is placed in a suitable position in the wireless
earphone, and changes the switching state of the circuit board to
an intended host device connection state according to a user's
manipulation. The host unit detects that the switching state is
changed by the switching unit, and changes a BD address assigned to
the Bluetooth communication unit. The speaker unit outputs an audio
signal received from the Bluetooth-paired host device.
[0066] According to exemplary embodiments of the present invention,
an electronic device can change a Bluetooth Device (BD) address by
using a switch manipulated by a user, and can automatically
establish a Bluetooth pairing with a host device which registers
the changed BD address, thereby providing user convenience.
[0067] Methods based on the embodiments disclosed in this document
can be implemented in hardware, software, or a combination of both.
When implemented in software, computer readable recording medium
for storing one or more programs (i.e., software modules) can be
provided. The one or more programs stored in the computer readable
recording medium are configured for execution performed by one or
more processors in an electronic device such as a Bluetooth-capable
device or a portable terminal. The one or more programs include
instructions for allowing the electronic device to execute the
methods based on the embodiments disclosed in this document.
[0068] The program (i.e., the software module or software) can be
stored in a random access memory, a non-volatile memory including a
flash memory, a Read Only Memory (ROM), an Electrically Erasable
Programmable Read Only Memory (EEPROM), a magnetic disc storage
device, a Compact Disc-ROM (CD-ROM), Digital Versatile Discs (DVDs)
or other forms of optical storage devices, and a magnetic cassette.
Alternatively, the program can be stored in a memory configured in
combination of all or some of these storage media. In addition, the
memory configured may be plural in number. Any of the functions and
steps provided in the Figures may be implemented in hardware,
software or a combination of both and may be performed in whole or
in part within the programmed instructions of a computer. No claim
element herein is to be construed under the provisions of 35 U.S.C.
112, sixth paragraph, unless the element is expressly recited using
the phrase "means for".
[0069] Further, the program can be stored in an attachable storage
device capable of accessing the electronic device through a
communication network such as the Internet, an Intranet, a Local
Area Network (LAN), a Wide LAN (WLAN), or a Storage Area Network
(SAN) or a communication network configured by combining the
networks. The storage device can be accessed by an electronic
device via an external port.
[0070] While the present invention has been particularly shown and
described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it will
be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in
form and details may be made therein without departing from the
spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the
appended claims.
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